Radio direction and ranging system



Dec. 20, i949 J. P. sMlTH Zggm@ RADIO DIRECTION AND HANGING SYSTEM Filed April 23, 1945 4 sheets-sheet 1 ec. 20, 1949 J. P. SMITH RADIO DIRECTION AND RANGNG SYSTEM Filed Aprii 23, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 in i i J. P. SMITH 2,492,120

RADIO DIRECTION AND RANGING SYSTEM Dec. 20, 1949 Filed April 23, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

LEF FIF/61W Jill/76H 50W TNW 65175/70705 INVENToR. :fahnfmflb Dec. 20, 1949 J. P. SMITH RADIO DIRECTION AND HANGING SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 23, 1945 INVENTOR.

tfolzn 1, jmih nv A Arran/vif Patented iii- 29, i

RADIO DIRECTION AND HANGING SYST .lohn P. Smith, Granbury, N. J., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Dela- Application April 23, 1945, Serial No. 589,924

8 Claims.

My invention relates to radar systems and particularly to systems wherein the reected signals are recorded by a facsimile recorder or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of and' means for obtaining a record of the information supplied by a. radar system.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved recording means for a radar system of the type employing directive antennas and left-right or up-down switching thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the. radar system is of the pulse-echo type. A gating pulse which may be shifted along the time axis is applied to an amplifier in the radar receiver. A recorder, which may be of the carbon paper type, is driven so that it scans in synchronism with the timing or phase shift of the gating pulse. The antenna switching also is synchronized with the recorder and the gating pulse.

In another embodiment of the invention the radar system is of the frequency modulated type. In this embodiment the narrow pass band of an audio frequency amplifier in the receiver is shifted in synchronism with the recorder scanning and the antenna switching.

The invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the invention as applied to a pulse-echo radar system,

Figure 2 is a group of graphs that are referred to in explaining the operation of the circuit shown in Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of a portion of the system shown in Fig. 1,

Figure 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention as applied to a frequency-modulated radar system,

Figure 5 is a group of graphs that are referred to in explaining the operation of the system shown in Fig. 4,

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of the audio frequency amplifier shown in Fig. 4, and

Figure 7 is a graph showing the frequencyresponse characteristic of the amplifier shown in Fig. 6.

In the several figures, similar parts are indicated by similar reference characters.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is applied to a pulse-echo system comprising a radio pulse transmitter I0 that is modulated by periodic electrical pulses supplied from a pulse generator II. The radio pulses are supplied through suitable switching means, such as a left-right switch I2,

alternately to directive antennas I3 and I6. The radiation patterns of the antennas i3 and it may be directed forwardly and to the left and right as illustrated, or they may be directed to left and right in exactly opposite directions, for example.

After reflection from a target or other reflecting surface, the radio pulses are picked up by a receiving antenna I5 and supplied to a receiver which may be of the superheterodyne type comprising a first detector, a tunable oscillator and an I.F. amplifier indicated at I6, a second detector I1, and a video frequency amplifier I9. A clipping circuit I8 preferably precedes the amplifier I9. The receiving apparatus further comprises a gating circuit and an amplifier indicated at 2i, an integration circuit 22, a pushpull amplifier 23 and a recorder 24. The recorder may be of the well known carbon paper type having a scanning drum 20 and a printer bar 25 between which the recording paper 30 is fed. In order to simplify the drawing the carbon paper is not shown, The printer bar 25 is actuated by a driving mechanism 25a.

The gating circuit 2| has a gating pulse 26 l applied thereto from a gate pulse and phase shift circuit 21. The gating pulse 26 is synchronized with the transmitted pulse by a connection 28 which supplies pulses fromI the generator II to the gate pulse circuit 21. The timing of the pulse 26 with respect to the transmitted pulse is shifted in synchronism with the stylus or scanning drum movement of the recorder 24 by means of a motor 3| which rotates a capacitor 4I in the gate pulse circuit and which also drives the scanning drum 20 of the recorder 24. The motor 3| also operates the antenna switch I2 in a predetermined time relation with respect to the phasing of the gate pulse and the scanning of the recorder.

Fig. 2 illustrates the sequence of operation and the timing relations of the various units in Fig. 1. The graph 34 shows that when the right antenna I4 is first switched to the transmitter l0, the time interval between the transmitted pulse and the gate pulse 2G is a minimum, and the distance of the recorder stylus or contact point from the center of the recording paper 30 is also a minimum. During the period that the right antenna I4 is radiating signal the gate pulse 26 is shifted in timing or phase to increase said time interval to a maximum at the end of the right switching period, and at the same time the recorder contact point from the center of the paper 30 to the right edge of the paper.

Next, the left antenna I3 is switched to the transmitter i and the gate pulse 28 is now shifted in timing toward the transmitted pulse thus gradually decreasing said time interval to its minimum value, and at the same time the recorder contact point is moved from the left edge of the paper 88 to the center of the paper. The cycle of operation is now repeated.

Since a reflected signal can pass through the gating circuit 2i only during the time a gating pulse 28 is being applied thereto, a mark will be recorded on the paper 30 at a point on either the right or left distance scale corresponding to the distance to the target, the mark being either to the right or to the left of zero or center on the paper depending upon whether the target is to the right or to the left. In Fig. 2, the broken projection lines show how a mark is made on the paper 30 by reflected pulse occurring at different times and being passed to the recorder by the gating puise 28.

The width or duration of the gating pulse 28 preferably is sulcient to allow several reflected pulses from a particular target to pass through ciated circuit will be more fully explained in connection with Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the gate pulse and phase shift circuit 21 includes a multivibrator 38 of conventional design comprising a pair of vacuum tubes 31 and 38 which are cross-coupled plate-togride through capacitors 38 and 4I. The multivibrator 36 is synchronized with the transmitted radio pulses by applying the modulating pulses from the generator Il through a differentiating circuit 44, 46 and through a coupling capacitor 41 and a coupling resistor 48. The narrow pulse of the multivibrator output wave 42 may be changed in width either by changing the capacity of capacitor 4i and/or by changing the positive bias of the tube 38, this bias being determined by the setting of the tap 43. Changing either the capacity of 4| or changing said bias changes the timing of the back edge of the narrow pulse of wave 42. In the present example, the said capacity change is employed to obtain the desired cyclic phase or time shift of the gating pulse 28, while the setting of the bias tap 43 is employed to determine the range of distance through which targets will be recorded.

The cyclic phase shift of the gating pulse 28 is obtained by continuously rotating the'rotor plate or the capacitor 4l. therotor plate being mechanically coupled to a shaft 8| driven by the motor 3i (Fig, 1). substantially straight-line capacitor. the rotor and stator plates each being substantially semicircular. v

Referring to the wave shaping circuits that shape the rectangular wave 42 into the gating pulse 28. the wave 42 is passed through a diilerentiating circuit comprising a capacitor 82 and a resistor 53 in series therewith whereby the wave 84 appears across resistor 83. The polarity of the wave 84 is reversed-by an amplier tube 88 which has an unbypassed resistor 81 in its cathode circuit to provide some degeneration. The reversed polarity wave, indicated at 88. is applied to the grid oi an amplifying and clipping tube 88 that passes only the positive pulse portions oi' the wave 88. The tops of these ,positive pulses will be flattened ofi' somewhat as a result of the grid of the tube 89 being driven positive and thereby loading The capacitor 4I may be a 4 the tube input circuit. These clipped positive pulses appear in the output circuit or the tube 88 as the desired gating pulses 28. The amplitude of the pulses 28 may be adjusted by an ad- Justable tap 8|.

The gating pulse 28 is supplied with negative polarity over the conductor 38 to the grid 82 of a vacuum tube 83 in the gating circuit 2l. The tube 83 and a vacuum tube 84 have a common plate circuit and function as described hereinafter to pass the video frequency signal (i. e., the reflected pulses) only while the gate pulse 28 is on the grid 82.

The video frequency pulses are supplied with negative polarity from the video frequency ampliiler i8 to the grid 88 oi the tube 84. A clipping circuit i8 preferably is provided to remove any noise signals that may be present having a polarity opposite that of the video frequency pulses. 1 In the clipping circuit shown. a diode 81 is connected in a conventional manner for passing only the video frequency pulses which are applied to the cathode of the diode 81 with negative polarity, the positive polarity noise signals having no eifect on the diode current and, therefore, being clipped oi. i

Referring more particularly to the gating circuit 2i, thc tubes 83 and 84 have positive voltage applied to their anodes through a common anode resistor 85. This anode voltage has a low value compared with the value required for normal amplier operation. The grids of tubes 83 and 84 are biased positively so that, due to the positive grid bias and low anode voltage, the negative video frequency pulses on the grid 88 of tube 84 will cause only a small change involtage at the anode end of the anode resistor 88. However, during the time a negative gating pulse 28 is being simultaneously applied to the grid 82 of the tube 83, the video frequency pulses on the grid 88 will cause a large change in the voltage at the anode end of resistor 85. Thus. large amplitude video frequency pulses are obtained at the output circuit of tubes 83 and 84 only during the occurrence of the gating puise 28 whereby only these larger amplitude signals are passed by an ampliiler and clipper' tube 1 i. It should be understood that tile invention is not limited to the use oi this particular type of gating circuit.

1n the example bei'ng described, a group of six video frequency pulses (indicated at 12. Fig. 1) will be passed by the gating circuit if they are present during the interval that a gating pulse -28 is being applied to the gating circuit. In order to make'the group of pulses more eiective for operating the recorder. they are applied to the integrating circuit 22 which widens each of the video frequency pulsesas indicated at 13, Fig. l.

The integrating circuit 22 comprises a capacitor 14 connected in series with a diode 18 that is shunted by a resistor 11. Each of the negative video frequency pulses 12 from the amplifier tube 1I causesa pulse of diode current to charge the capacitor 14 quickly. and the charge then leaks olf the capacitor 14 comparatively slowly through the resistor 11. Thus.' widened video frequency pulses are produced across the resistor 11 and, after' being reversed in polarity by an ampllner tube 18, appear as the negative pulses 13 (Fig. l) The pulses 13 are thenapplied to the grid 18 of an amplifier tube 8| in the push-pull amplifier 23.

The push-pull amplier 23V` comprises the screen-grid tube 8| and a second screen-grid tube 82. The push-pull circuit is of a well-known type wherein the grid 83 of the tube 82 is held assenso et a fixed potential wml as cathode as is caused to go more negative when the grid 19 of tube 8l is driven more negative byvone of the widened video frequency pulses. I he anode circuits of the tubes 8| and 82 include the printer bar driving coils 86 and 81 of the driving unit 25a, the amplified pulses 13being supplied to the coils 88 and 81 by Way of the conductors 88. The inertia of the printer bary and the driving mechanism 25a provides a mechanical ltering action for the amplified pulses 13 so that the group of six pulses 'I3 produce a single mark on tlie recorder paper rather than six separate marks or dots. v

The marking or record on the paper 3G in Fig. 1 illustrates the results that may be obtained by employing my system installed in an airplane for strip mapping of a coast line. In this example, it is assumed that the antennas I3 and I4 are mounted on opposite sides of the airplane and pointing in opposite directions, and that the airplane is travelling along the coast with the l shore line-at its left.

Fig. 4 shows the invention applied to a radar system of the frequency-modulated type which comprises a radio transmitter SI that is a cyclically frequency modulated by means of a modulator 92 to which is applied a modulating saw- 'tooth wave supplied from a sawtooth wave genmodulated signal is also supplied to the detector 94 directly from the transmitter QI over a line QS whereby a beat frequency signalis obtained, the frequency of which is a measure of the distance to the reiiecting target.

The beat frequency signal from detector 96 is supplied to an audio frequency amplifier 91 that has a very narrow pass band so that it will pass only the beat frequency signal from one target at a time and supply it to the recorder 24. Means is provided for shifting the said pass band cyclically from the minimum beat frequency to the maximum beat frequency in the operating range. This is done by mechanically coupling the motor 3i to the rotatable arms 98, 99 and IUD of a resistor-capacitor network, this network being frequency selective as described hereinafter in connection With Figs. 6 and 7.

The scanning drum 20 is rotated bythe motor 3| in synchronism with the shifting of the band pass characteristic of the amplifier 91. This operation is illustrated in Fig. 5 and corresponds to the scanning drum and gating pulse operation previously described with reference to Fig. 1. It will be seen that the pass band of amplifier S1 is shifted in the direction to pass higher beat frequencies as the contact point of the scanning drum and printer bar moves from the center Ito the right edge of the paper 3U, and then is shifted back in the direction to pass lower beat frequencies as said Contact point moves from the left edge of the paper to the center.

Fig. 6 shows merely by Way of example one suitable circuit for the amplifier 91. This circuit is described in Termans Radio Engineers Handbook, page 945. It comprises amplifier tubes 902, IOS' and |05 connected to form a directn current amplier. A degenerative feed-back connection includes a parallel-T n'ull network, one T section consisting of the capacitors CI and C2 and the resistor 99a, the other T section consisting of the resistors 88a and Ia and the capacitor C3. 4The frequency response characteristic of the amplier is shown in Fig. 7, this characteristic being due to the fact that at the null frequency there is no degenerative feedback and the amplifier operates-at full gain. It will be apparent that the mid-frequency of,Y the response curve may be shifted by rotating the resistor arms 98, 98 and |00 to obtain the desired gating operation whereby a record of the type previously described is obtained.

In the drawing various circuit values have been indicated, merely by way of example, in ohms, thousands of ohmsand megohms, and in microfarads and micro-microfarads.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a radio locator system comprising means for radiating radio signals to a reflecting object and means for receiving said signals after reflection from said object, gating means for making said receiving means pass only the signals reected from an object a predetermined distance from said radar system, recording apparatus which includesv means for scanning a recording surface by a recording contact point, and means for operating said gating means and said recorder scanning means in synchronism.

2. A radio locator system comprising means for transmitting a periodically modulated radio wave toward a reiiecting object, a radio receiver for receiving the wave reflected from said object, gating means for making said receiver pass successively only the received waves that are reiiectcd from objects that are located diierent predetermined distances from said system, a recorder comprising means for scanning a recording surface at a slow rate compared with said periodic modulation by a recording contact point, means for causing said recorder to make a mark on said surface at the position of said contact point in response to signal passed by said receiver, and means for synchronizing the operation of said gating means and said recorder scanning.

3. A radio locator system comprising means for transmitting a periodically modulated radio wave toward a reflecting object, a radio receiver :for receiving the wave reected from said object, means for producing a gating pulse that recurs at the rate of said periodic modulation and means for shifting the timing or phase of said gating pulse with respect to said periodic modulation at a slow rate compared with said periodic modulation for making said system pass only the received Waves that are reflected from an object a predetermined distance from said system, a recorder comprising means for scanning a recording surface at said slow rate by a recording contact point, means for causing said recorder to make a mark on said surface at the position of said contact point in response to signal passed by said receiver, and means for synchronizing said recorder scanning with the phase shift of said gating pulse.A

4. A recording system comprising an antenna system for radiating to the left and to the right, means including said antenna system rfor transmitting a periodically modulated radio Wave to the left and to the right toward reecting objects and for receiving alternately from the left and from the right the waves reflected from said objects, gating means for making said system pass successively only the received signals that are reflected from objects that are located different predetermined distances from said system, a recorder comprising means for scanning a recording surface at a slow rate compared with said periodic modulation by a recording contact point, means for causing said recorder to make a mark on said surface at the position of said contact point in response to reilected signals passed by said system, means for causing said recorder scanning means to scan said recording surface alternately to the left and to the right from its center at said comparatively slow rate and in synchronism with said alternate left-right antenna switching, and means for synchronizing the operation of said gating means and said recorder scanning.

5. A recording system comprising an antenna system for radiating to the left and to the right, means including said antenna system for transmitting a periodically modulated radio Wave to the left and to the right toward reflecting objects and for receiving alternately from the left and .from the right the Waves reflected from said objects, means for producing a gating pulse thaty recurs at the rate of said periodic modulation and means for shifting the timing or phase of said gating pulse with respect to said periodic modulation for making said system pass only the received signals that are reflected from an object a predetermined distance from said system, a recorder comprising means for scanning a recording surface by a recording contact point, means for causing said recorder to make a mark on said surface at the position of said contact point in response to the reception of the reflected signals during the occurrence of a gating pulse, means for causing said recorder scanning means to scan said recording surface alternately to the left and to the right from its center at a comparatively slow rate and in synchronism with said alternate left-right antenna switching, and

means for synchronizing said recorder scanning with the phase shift'of said gating pulse.

6. In combination, a pulse-echo radio locator system comprising means for radiating toward a reflecting object a radio pulse that recurs at a certain periodic rate and meansfor receiving said pulse after reflection from said object, means for producing a gating pulse that recurs at said periodic rate and which is adjustable in timing with respect to the radiated pulse, recording apparatus comprising scanning means for moving a recording Contact point along a recording surface, and means for shifting in synchronism said timing of tha gating-'pulse and said movement of the recording contact point.

7. In combination, a pulse-echo radio locator system comprising means for radiating toward a reecting object a radio pulse that recurs at a certain periodic rate and means for receivingi said pulse liter reflection from said object, means for producing a gating pulse that recurs at said periodic rate and which is adjustable in timing with respect to the radiated pulse, recording apparatus comprising scanning means for moving a recording contact point along a recording surface, means for gradually increasing the time interval between the radiated pulse and the gating pulse while said recording contact point is being moved from the center of the recording surface to one edge thereof, and means for gradually decreasing said time interval While said contact point is being moved from the other edge of the recording surface to said center.

8. A radio locator system comprising means for :transmitting toward a reflecting object a frequency modulated radio wave that is cyclically modulated at a certain rate, a radio receiver including a beat frequency detector for receiving the wave reiiected from said object, means for supplying frequency modulated signal directly from said transmitting means to said detector, an audio frequency amplier having a narrowfrequency pass band, means for supplying the output of said detector to said ampliiier, means for shifting said pass band at a slow rate compared with said cyclic modulation for making said receiver pass successively only the received waves that are reflected from objects located at predetermined distances from said system, a recorder comprising means for scanning a recording surface at said slow rate by a recording contact point, means for causing said recorder to make a mark on said surface at the position of said contact point in `response to signal passed by said amplifier, and means for synchronizing said recorder scanning with the shifting of said pass band.

JOHN P.vr SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,924,174 Wolf Aug. 29, 1933 2,326,880 Norrman Aug. 1'?, 1943 2,415,981 Wolfi' Feb. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 542,634 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1942 

